The Time Before (Undertale)

48 ~ Papyrus Helps, Too

When Papyrus came home from school, he found Sans and Gaster yet again sitting on the couch.

He sighed. "Was there another acc-"

And then he cut himself off, noticing just how still Sans was. His brother was completely limp, unmoving except for the slight rise and fall of his chest.

"Dad? Is- is Sans okay?" Papyrus hurried over to the couch, not even caring that he had left his backpack on the floor.

Gaster sighed. "Y'know how these nightmares have been keeping him up lately?"

"Yeah...?"

"He can't function on that little sleep. I told him to come home, get some rest. But he's afraid to sleep. So I gave him a sedative. It... it really wasn't that strong of one, but... he was just so exhausted, that he just..."

"... Oh." Papyrus sat down on the couch next to Gaster, and reached out to hold one of Sans' hands. "But... But he'll be okay, right?"

"... I hope so."

~o0o~

Sans woke slowly to the all-too-familiar sensation of healing Magic. And, had it not been that healing Magic felt good, he would have pulled away, whining at the memories of the Bad Days that suddenly assaulted him.

But healing Magic did feel good, so instead, he only just started to stir, sitting up a little more in what he realized was Gaster's lap. That did bring him a little more comfort, the knowledge that Gaster had kept his promise.

As Sans woke up, Jeff pulled away, hands lifting off Sans' shoulders. "That should be enough."

"Wowie!" That was, of course, Papyrus. "He is waking up! Can you teach me how to use healing Magic, Jeff?"

Sans opened his eyes. He was indeed still snuggled in Gaster's lap, still on the couch in the living room. The only difference was now Jeff and Papyrus were there, too.

"Of course I can." Jeff smiled at Papyrus. "It's not too difficult to learn basic healing Magic, and it should come especially easily to someone so caring as you."

Papyrus let out a happy "NYEH-HEH-HEH" before flopping onto the couch next to Gaster and Sans. "And then I'll be able to help you, too, Sans!"

Still half-asleep, Sans reached out a hand and clumsily wrapped it around Papyrus's shoulder. "y'already do, bro."

Papyrus grinned.

"Speaking of which, though," Gaster said to Sans, "how are you?"

Sans made a vague, still-half-asleep noise.

Gaster hugged him a little tighter. "Can you clarify that at all?"

"... nnnngghh... not great. but not quite as bad, either."

"And no nightmares?"

Sans shook his head a little as he let it settle back against Gaster's shoulder.

"Well. That's something, at the very least."

Sans closed his eyes again, and was relieved to find that, for the time being, at least, he still wasn't having nightmares.

For several minutes, Sans just leaned against Gaster, eyes closed, quiet as Jeff and Gaster talked about something or other.

Then he looked up at Gaster. "... hey, dings?"

Gaster immediately looked down at him. "Yeah?"

"what... how long was i asleep?"